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The development of Japanese
furniture grew out of the early use of simple lidded boxes or woven
baskets, for the storage of kimono and personal
possessions......
.....Over time, where household
possessions, clothing and decorations were changed seasonally,
chests on wheels were a popular method of moving goods between the
main house in a compound and a kura - the earthquake and
fire resistant thick walled store room - a substantial store room
where goods were well protected, for safe keeping, often along
with the precious rice harvest in rural areas.
Though often
called karuma = or vehicle chests, kuruma is the more
accurate term as originally they were stored in the kura
In the Edo
period when the urban population grew exponentially, many more
kuruma chests were to be seen in Edo (Tokyo) especially as
the aristocracy were obliged by decree of the Shogun to spend a
certain amount of time each year there to ensure they did not
conspire to rise up against him
This led to
the popularity of the wheeled storage chest amongst the general
populace as the design was seen as a pragmatic method of
fleeing quickly from fires with possessions,
following
in the aftermath of the frequent earthquakes.
Kuruma chests became illegal
in built up areas after the conflagration, the Great Fire of Tokyo,
mid C17th. Many perished after one notable 'traffic' jam as
kuruma dansu clogged the narrow streets hampering the
effort of fire fighters to quell the flames.
However, it
was still possible to own and use them outside the urban centres
and so the tradition continued in the rural areas.
See our selection of
kuruma - wheeled storage chests [more...]
The following book is an
excellent resource:
Tansu:
Traditional Japanese Cabinetry Ty & Kiyoko
Heineken
Wetherhill
Tokyo 1981. 1993 | 